Chemical dispenser



Dec 24, 1968 c. J. TIETEMA. ETAL 3,417,410

caEuIcAL DISPENSER Filed Aug. 31, 1967 UnitedStates Patent O 3,417,410CHEMICAL DISPENSER 'Casper J. Tietema, Chicago, and Donald M. Rodak,Hanh over Park, Ill., assiguors to Lien Chemical Company, Franklin Park,Ill., a corporation of Illinois Filed Aug. 31, 1967, Ser. No. 664,845 2Claims. (Cl. 4-225) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A dispenser of a chemicalinto a ush valve operated water pipe leading to a llrinal or toilet, inwhich an adjustable water inlet tube leads from the Water pipe to acontainer containing the chemical, and a separate `outlet tube carriesthe water mixed with the chemical in the container to the water pipe, toexit to the urinal or toilet, substantially simultaneously, and with theoutlet tube so constructed that after-flow and streaking are eliminated.

This invention relates to a dispenser of a chemical into a water feedline such as that leading from a liush valve to a urinal or toilet.

Among the objects of our invention is to provide an improvedconstruction in which a separate tube is used to supply the water fromthe supply pipe to a chemical chamber and another tube is used fortransferring the chemical water mixture back to the tail pipe.

Another object of our invention is to insure substantially simultaneousentrance of water into the chemical chamber and exit of chemical watertherefrom to eliminate streaking.

Another object of `our invention is improved control of the amount ofchemical being dispensed due to the construction of the inlet tube.

Our invention also has such other objects, advantages and capabilitiesas will later more fully appear and which are inherently possessed bythis invention.

While we have shown in the accompanying drawings a preferred embodimentof our invention, yet it is to be understood that the same issusceptible of modification and change without departing from the spiritof our invention.

Referring to the drawings, FIG. l is a top plan view, partly in sectionof our chemical dispenser; FIG. 2 is a side elevational view; FIG. 3 isa vertical sectional view on line 3-3 of FIG. 1; FIG. 4 is a verticalrear view; and FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view on line 5 5 of FIG. 2of the same; and FIG. 6 is a vertical view showing our chemicaldispenser in connection with a tail pipe, valve and urinal.

Our chemical dispenser is connected to a water supply and tail pipe orwater pipe 11 below a manually operable ush valve 12, said pipe leadingto a urinal or toilet 13.

In the embodiment selected to illustrate our invention, our dispenser 10comprises a body member or caintainer 14, within which is a hollowchamber 15 containing a chemical mixture including detergents,deodorants, water conditioners and blue coloring material, mixable withwater. Connecting chamber 15 with the interior of pipe 11 are two tubes16 and 17. Upper inlet tube 16 is straight and serves to divert some ofthe clear water flowing through pipe 11 into chamber 15. This clearwater, in turn, mixes with the chemical mixture in chamber 15. The waterchemical solution is returned to pipe 11 by means of lower outlet tube17.

In FIG. 3, the details of construction of the upper inlet tube 16 areshown. It is to be noted that its inner portion lying within pipe 11 hasa terminal section from ICC which the upper half has been cut away ornotched as shown at 18.

The lower outlet ltube 17, as detailed in FIG. 3, is shown as downwardlycurved at 19 where itis inside pipe 11 leading to the urinal or toilet.Portion 20 of tube 17, oppoite to end 19'and within chamber 15, whichcontains the chemical mixture, is angled downwardly. The terminal end ofthis angled portion 20 has a notched orice 21, and at the upper part ofsaid angled portion is a small lorifice 22 which serves as a Vacuumbreaker.

From the side of body member 14, a support member 23 projects laterallyand terminates in a recess that is adapted partially to encompass tailpipe 11. A second support member 24 encompasses the opposite side oftail pipe 11 and is fastened to support member 23 by screws 25 to clampsaid two support members against the tail pipe 11 and firmly supportdispenser 10 in position. Mounted within support member 23 is acompressible and resilient member 26 which supports inlet tube 16 andoutlet tube 17 which extend therethrough. Said tubes extend from hollowchamber 15 to within tail pipe 11. Member 26 being of compressible andresilient material permits inlet t-ube 16 and outlet tube 17 to berotated on their axes so that the amount of water received from tailpipe 11 and the amount of chemical dispensed may be controlled.

A removable cover 27 is provided for the open top of body member 14.

In use, when the ow valve 12 is manually operated, water from a suitablesource of supply is provided to tail pipe 11 for a brief measured periodof time, as determined by the control setting on the valve.

The unique features of our invention, embodying a separate tube 16 tosupply water to chamber 15, and another tube 17 for transferring thechemical-water mixture back into the pipe, offer certain advantages overother dispensing devices in the prior art.

In setting forth these advantages, it is to be observed that since twotubes are involved, one, 16, for the inlet to, and one, 17, for theoutlet from the chamber 15, that the chemical solution is dispensed fromthe chamber through tube 17 substantially simultaneously with the clearwater entering through the upper tube 16.

A common fault of devices in the prior art has been that the dispensingof the chemical has not been simultaneous with the entering of the clearwater. Normally, the chemical being dispensed contains detergents andwater conditioners, as well as blue coloring. In the prior art, thedetergent mixture had not been dispensed prior to the end of the flushcycle, so that the blue coloring continued to drip through the pipe 11into the urinal or toilet, after the water il-ow had ceased. Thisresulted, in the prior art, in objectionable blue streaking and stainingon the toilet or urinal lixture.

Owing to the fact that in our embodiment the water flows into and out ofchamber 15 substantially simultaneously, the flow of chemical isterminated prior to the end of the flush cycle and thus streaking ofblue coloring is eliminated. The details of the features in outlet tube17 which account for this phenomenon are three: 1) the construction ofthe `orifice 21 at the end of the tube 17 inside chamber 15; (2) thesmall opening 22 at the upper surface of this tube, which servves as Iavacuum breaker; and (3) the downward angle 20 of outlet tube 17 whichallows any detergent mixture therein to drain back into chamber 15 upontermination of the flush cycle. This eliminates after-flow, streakingand staining.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. A dispenser for introducing a chemical into a ush valve operatedwater pipe leading to a urinal or toilet comprising a container housinga water mixable chemical,

a support member for maintaining said container in relationship with thewater pipe, a compressible and resilient member mounted within saidsupport member, an upper inlet tube rotatably mounted within saidcompressible and resilient member, and extending from the Water pipe tothe upper portion of said container and carrying water from the waterpipe to said container, the receiving end of said inlet tube positionedwithin the water pipe and having its upper half cut away or notched forcontrolled reception therein of water, and a lower separate outlet tubesubstantially parallel with and spaced below said inlet tube androtatably mounted within said compressible and resilient member andextendin-g from a lower portion of said container to the water pipe andcarrying water mixed with chemical in said container from the containerto the water pipe for exit to the urinal or toilet, said outlet tubehaving an inner portion positioned entirely Within `said container andangled downwardly to a receiving end and positioned within saidcontainer, said inner portion having at its other end an orifice vacuumbreaker within said container permitting water mixed with chemical todrain back into the container upon the termination of any ushing cycle.

2. A vdispenser for introducing a chemical into a flush valve operatedwater pipe leading to a urinal or toilet comprising a container housinga water mixable chemical, a support member for maintaining saidcontainer in relationship with the Water pipe, an inlet tube mounted insaid support member and extending from the Water pipe to the upperportion of said container and carrying water from the water pipe to saidcontainer, and a separate outlet tube mounted in said support member andextending from a lower portion of said container to the water pipe andycarrying Water mixed with chemical in sai-d container to the water pipefor exit to the urinal or toilet, said outlet tube having an innerportion positioned entirely within said container and angled downwardlyto a receiving end, said inner portion having at its other end anorifice vacuum breaker Within said container, to permit water mixed withchemical to drain back into the container upon the termination of anyflushing cycle.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 131,422 9/ 1872 Brown 4-225521,411 6/1894 Johnson 4-225 653,437 7/1900 Burger et al 4-109 1,127,2072/ 1915 Doran 4-225 1,207,289 12/1916 Grant 4-109 1,309,029 7/1919Goodhue 4-223 FOREIGN PATENTS 4,207 11/1897 Great Britain. 16,646 5 1898Great Britain. 125,273 4/ 1919 Great Britain. 252,096 12/ 1947Switzerland.

LAVERNE D. GEIGER, Primary Examiner.

D. MASSENBERG, Assistant Examiner.

